What is a Mermaid? A witchy wednesday article.

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Chap-books of the Eighteenth Century
1882 public domain.


Welcome to another Witchy Wednesday, and to follow on from last weeks theme of Folklore characters connected to the sea, rivers, ponds and lakes this weeks is an introduction into the world of Mermaids. 

What is, what are Mermaids?

Mermaids are legendary aquatic creatures, typically depicted with the upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish, appearing in folklore across the world as symbols of both alluring beauty and dangerous destruction. Often associated with maritime myths, they are believed to act as guardians of the sea, representing a delicate balance between humanity and nature. 

The UK has a large collection of Folklore stories connected to water. Being a land surround by sea and dotted with lakes, ponds and winding rivers it's not really surprising. Anywhere associated with water was often viewed with both awe, trepidation, and danger! Deep pools of water were often seen as mysterious and other worldly sometimes thought by some to be gateways to other dimensions. Because if the danger of fast under currents, dense thick weeds, and unpredictable behaviour folklore stories were often created by real life tragedies or as a way of warning others of possible dangers. 


The Mermaid of Zennor by John Reinhard Weguelin (1900)
Inspired by medieval legend of a mermaid who lived at Pendour Cove, near Zennor, Cornwall, about whom various stories are told. The young man in the picture is Matthew Trewhell, a chorister of St. Senara's church in Zennor, with whose voice the mermaid was besotted. According to legend, he fell in love with the mermaid and went to share her watery home, although his voice can still be heard at Pendour Cove when he is singing.


Many places in the UK have folklore stories connected with water spirits, Cornwall especially has a fabulous collection of water based folklore stories including traditional mermaid tales including the mermaid of Seaton, the mermaid of Padstow and the Mermaid of Zennor which is a famous Cornish tale about a beautiful, mysterious stranger from the sea who captivates and lures a local church goer Mathew Trewhella from the Cornish village of Zennor. 



Please visit Cornwall Heritage Trust for the full folklore story. 

https://www.cornwallheritagetrust.org/learn/resources/stories-and-rhymes/mermaid-of-zennor/


A Gallery of mermaid images. 

From book illustrations, adverts and beautiful words. 


























From Der Naturen Bloeme 1350c


Mermaid and fishes of Amboyna.
Illustration from Sea Fables Explained 1883


Here are some interesting YouTube videos on mermaids. Enjoy. 












Please visit and like the makers of these fab videos to show your support. 


Thank you for visiting my blog, please join me again next week for another Witchy Wednesday. Kat 😊

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